Illini Basketball 2022-2023
- Status
This was a great listen. Mike has good insight. Needs to be on BTN if he's not getting into coaching somewhere.
I'd say Harris is much better than advertised, but his game last night was memorable for all the wrong reasons.
Illinivek23
- Gurnee
Stupid but passionate as hell. I'll take it. Once.
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
Sincere's play AFTER he returned from the 2 quick fouls AND BEFORE he picked up the dumb T , his play got the team moving a lot better than with anyone else.......The dumb T was a turning point and whether he is a freshman or a senior he is experienced enough to realize picking up a T for anything would be detrimental to gaining the victory........I haven't looked at a replay to gauge when and what the score was when he got the T , but he should know to play under control and he didn't............I was one of the first posters here to say he needed to start based on his play influencing the team's play for the positive...
Honestly , that T was such a negative play that resulted in points for the other team but it gained him his 3rd foul and some pine time......
So many turning points we all see in every game the Illini play , but now the turning points towards the negative has my enthusiasm waning.......It goes without saying that the players are affected also........The rut we are in now grows everyday.......the reporters ask about it , and they should as it's their job to cover the team .....The coaches and players answer those questions , but we need more than cliche answers ....I , for one , want results .....ASAP......
I really really do..................................
JFGsCoffeeMug
BU:1 Trash cans:0
- Chicago
I appreciated LaTulip calling out Mayer for claiming he wants to be DPOY, but not playing anything like it during our games.
DICKnaggie
- Champaign
The discussion that starts around 11:40 about team dynamics is so spot on. We are a dumpster fire right now. "You can overhaul quickly with talent, but the ins and outs of how you create a team and a culture means we had to go back to square one this year." My confusion is that BU and Chester have always been culture guys and I'm just not sure how they didn't see this brew being especially cloudy.
Last edited:
Transfers. No culture with transfers.
illini80
- Forgottonia
Agree. LaTulip is a great analyst and isn’t afraid to name names. I don’t subscribe and see his video breakdowns, but just listening he can point out specific details that reinforce what we know we see, but maybe can’t put a finger on specifics.
DICKnaggie
- Champaign
TSJ appreciation post. Just watched his post game and like always, he is thoughtful, takes accountability and looks forward. No inside info, but I can't believe TSJ is part of the problem. He seems like such a great young man. Pros will watch this vs some others who talk about not listening to coaches, ignoring, etc. in their pressers. Best of luck to TSJ regardless of the outcome to this season.
I just don't understand why he doesn't want to take over. He can do it against anyone he has shown it.
Haven't made a lineup on here yet. After watching the season so far here is my take.
1 Epps Like Fraizer he is not true point gaurd but playing solid on both sides of the ball and our best option.
2 TSJ Could actually be a more aggressive on offense as he can take over a game but stick to what he is good at.
3. MM When he plays with effort and focus he has been a big positive but if he starts playing me ball he needs to be reined in.
4. CoHawk. Lots of talent and athleticism but needs to play smarter. I would prefer he play more like a traditional 4 playing a little closer to the basket. That would put him in better rebounding position and he can still pop out and shoot threes. Having him outside the arc all the time is not good for this team.
5. DD Good big man scoring threat and rebounder with lots of length. Plus when he is in we don't have 5 guys standing around the arc on offense.
The bench
Harris is a big catalyst and needs lots of minutes. Most defensive intensity on team.
Clark has been up and down. Don't know if injury is still holding him back or just hasn't adjusted to the college game yet.
RJ Needs to get his mojo back. He is better than what we have seen so far.
Ty Can give us some good minutes here and there. May have a breakout game yet.
Luke May be the X factor for us. Look for him to be solid and depending on his recovery a possible starter by the end of the year.
This is just my humble opinion, no expert here.
1 Epps Like Fraizer he is not true point gaurd but playing solid on both sides of the ball and our best option.
2 TSJ Could actually be a more aggressive on offense as he can take over a game but stick to what he is good at.
3. MM When he plays with effort and focus he has been a big positive but if he starts playing me ball he needs to be reined in.
4. CoHawk. Lots of talent and athleticism but needs to play smarter. I would prefer he play more like a traditional 4 playing a little closer to the basket. That would put him in better rebounding position and he can still pop out and shoot threes. Having him outside the arc all the time is not good for this team.
5. DD Good big man scoring threat and rebounder with lots of length. Plus when he is in we don't have 5 guys standing around the arc on offense.
The bench
Harris is a big catalyst and needs lots of minutes. Most defensive intensity on team.
Clark has been up and down. Don't know if injury is still holding him back or just hasn't adjusted to the college game yet.
RJ Needs to get his mojo back. He is better than what we have seen so far.
Ty Can give us some good minutes here and there. May have a breakout game yet.
Luke May be the X factor for us. Look for him to be solid and depending on his recovery a possible starter by the end of the year.
This is just my humble opinion, no expert here.
Last edited:
That was absolutely worth the watch
DICKnaggie
- Champaign
They are taking his left away. He showed it early It has to do with the fact he wasn't the alpha at TT and therefore he had more limited shot attempts and exposure. Now he is the focus and the fact that he didn't develop his right previously is hurting him.
Hot Take without reading any of this thread and returning from hiatus: This years issues are only new for us. Teams like Kentucky struggle with these issues every year. I think this year is a test for BU more than it is the players.
BU has succeeded with his “everyday guys” and he has quite a few on this roster, but he also has players making hundreds of thousands of dollars, and for the first time ever in their lives feeling financially satiated. Coaches like Krieshievski, and Calipari have been dealing with this phenomenon their entire careers (I know K is retired but couldn’t miss opportunity to slander). Squid’s escapades are well documented, and so are Coach Ks. Corey Maggette and Lance Thomas at Duke were both sued 10 years apart after receiving $100ks in benefit and admitting so in court. These slaps on the wrist for some coaches have trained them for this NIL scenario, but most coaches, I THINK, are learning truly how hard Squids job is keeping the egos and cash fat players motivated.
Good luck BU.
BU has succeeded with his “everyday guys” and he has quite a few on this roster, but he also has players making hundreds of thousands of dollars, and for the first time ever in their lives feeling financially satiated. Coaches like Krieshievski, and Calipari have been dealing with this phenomenon their entire careers (I know K is retired but couldn’t miss opportunity to slander). Squid’s escapades are well documented, and so are Coach Ks. Corey Maggette and Lance Thomas at Duke were both sued 10 years apart after receiving $100ks in benefit and admitting so in court. These slaps on the wrist for some coaches have trained them for this NIL scenario, but most coaches, I THINK, are learning truly how hard Squids job is keeping the egos and cash fat players motivated.
Good luck BU.
Has he? I’ve seen him drive directly into someone’s chest and get blocked/fouled numerous times. It’s a 50/50 foul opportunity and when it’s not, it’s a turnover. IMO, the ability to create is lacking and unless TSJ can beat someone with speed, there’s not a lot of creation there. That’s why his point total has declined since game ~6.
I haven't studied but intend to a little more...but our year is tracking similar to last years at Alabama.
early success with signature wins followed by severe falloff is VERY similar to Alabama year last year.. ...
btw they stumbled into the tourney last year based on some early signature wins, including Gonzaga.
early success with signature wins followed by severe falloff is VERY similar to Alabama year last year.. ...
btw they stumbled into the tourney last year based on some early signature wins, including Gonzaga.
Agree. BU talks about this a lot, but it's perplexing to me how playing off of two feet has kind of become a lost art. Frank and DWill made a killing with it. It gives you so many more options for attacking the defense. When you play off one foot, you're basically committed to driving in a straight line to the hoop and if that lane closes up more bad than good usually comes of it.
I think this will be a lost season. Not because I am debbie downer but because you can't have this many new faces and succeed. You need to build something and you can't do that this quickly. You need guys that have been together for 2-3 years to have very much success. Kentucky, Duke, etc. are clear examples of that. Look at the teams in the finals the last 5 years. These are not 1 and done teams or even 2 and done teams. You have to build chemistry and you need talent. I think Illinois has talent but they don't have time together.
I think it will be another couple of years before the Illini are good enough to challenge for the Big Ten and make a run in the tournament. This year's freshman class is good but they need time. By their junior years, with Melendez and Goode as seniors, Hansberry as a sophomore and then you throw in Morez, that might be a really good team. This one is not.
I think it will be another couple of years before the Illini are good enough to challenge for the Big Ten and make a run in the tournament. This year's freshman class is good but they need time. By their junior years, with Melendez and Goode as seniors, Hansberry as a sophomore and then you throw in Morez, that might be a really good team. This one is not.
One thing that seems to be accepted as canon (or at least we are hoping and putting a lot of chips on it) is that Luke Goode will return healthy and be the leader this team needs. By all accounts Luke is a great person and a good basketball player, but I'd ask we not pile all this expectation onto the shoulders of someone who played 9 minutes a game last year. Yes I know Brad said he would start this year, but Brad also throws the word 'elite' around a lot, when it may be more coach-speak.
I'm getting vibes similar to the other oft-repeated thing here, which is that so many of us had overstated expectations going into this season and are now emotionally crashing due to the poor play lately. When really in many cases it is normal freshman / new teammate learning curve.
I hope Luke brings some stability, some fight and effort, and some good shooting. But it's on the coaches to figure out the rest.
I'm getting vibes similar to the other oft-repeated thing here, which is that so many of us had overstated expectations going into this season and are now emotionally crashing due to the poor play lately. When really in many cases it is normal freshman / new teammate learning curve.
I hope Luke brings some stability, some fight and effort, and some good shooting. But it's on the coaches to figure out the rest.
A couple things to chew on regarding Luke’s return & leadership.
1. If you paid attention to the off-season conditioning hype videos, Luke was prominent in every one.
2. He was one of the few guys that was here last year, and the only one who’s commitment never wavered. Not even any wild speculation.
3. and likely most important… if a few more open threes found the bottom of the net, we’d probably see a lot more effort & a lot less bickering.
I don’t know if Luke is a natural born leader, but he is definitely an “every day” guy, and has the capability to help us where we need it the most.
It’s easy to lead when things are going well, but it’s hard to develop leadership when things are easy. Ayo, Trent, & DMW learned by losing. We hoped to avoid a re-build, but it looks like that’s what we are going through. We have to keep in mind we are among the least experienced Power 5 teams in the nation. We’ve looked the part the last 3 weeks.
Yep. The conference is a freaking blood bath night in, night out. That's nuts.
I don’t think that’s too far off, at least for us. Think we will struggle on the road more than recent years, and think we go something like 8-2 home/3-7 on the road for 11-9.
Think 14-6 might be good enough to get a share. Would require us going 13-3 the rest of the way, which would be a heck of a run. Doable I guess but until I see us play more consistent and show up for toughness games, my best guess is we finish 11-9 or 12-8, with a couple more great wins and a couple more head scratching losses. But safely in the dance.
Biggest question for me is can we find consistency by March. Continue to improve on offense and defense and we should be a tough out.
- Status